Two-way RF radios allow verbal communications to be conducted wirelessly at a distance, as between an individual in, for instance, a building and an individual in a vehicle. To facilitate this, the electronic signals that represent the voice signal (subsequent to appropriate demodulation in the radio to recover this signal) are transduced into an audio signal, usually through use of a speaker.
Use of speakers in two-way radios presents a number of problems, particularly in a mobile radio setting. For instance, it becomes very important that as complete as possible an acoustic seal between the speaker and its mounting structure be achieved. The failure to achieve a good acoustic seal leads to diminished audio reproduction capability, which can be particularly troublesome in a vehicle mounted radio ordinarily subject to operation in noisy ambient conditions. Also, such vehicle mounted radios are subject to significant vibration due to environmental stimuli, and such vibration can reduce an otherwise satisfactory acoustic seal and/or lead to damage of the speaker and surrounding components.
In the past, speakers in two-way radios have typically been mounted by using either speakers having an integrally formed square basket associated therewith, which basket can be attached through use of screws (typically 4) to a support surface, or through use of a mounting bracket that fits about a speaker and, through use of screws, affixes the speaker to the support surface. Unfortunately, these techniques are unduly sensitive to vibration, and do not necessarily provide an adequate acoustic seal. In addition, the use of a plurality of screws or other threaded members requires a commensurate manufacturing effort that increases the cost of manufacturing the radio.
A need therefore exists for a speaker retention assembly that ensures an acceptable acoustic seal, both upon initial use and thereafter, which assembly is substantially immune to ordinary vibration conditions and which represents a minimum manufacturing cost.